Artistic Engagement as a Way of Cultural Heritage Preservation in Rio de Janeiro

In mid-2013, Brazilians protested for better living conditions, but the police reaction was severe. A protest called “Ocupa Lapa” was an artistic way of public engagement to react to a police's violent attitude. This act contributed to preserving the cultural heritage of Lapa and expanded its public spaces’ uses. The debate about the public spaces’ control, placed at “Ocupa Lapa” acts, relates to another act called “Arte Pública.” This paper aims to analyze the impacts of those acts on public spaces, defending them as a participatory and creative method of generating dynamical urban spaces and of preserving cultural heritage.